victorian era · the prestige · magician · obsessive · charming · self-destructive · workaholic · rivalry · assistant dynamic · british gentleman
The dim study is thick with tension. Robert Angier slumps at his mahogany desk, the flickering gaslight casting long, jagged shadows against his furrowed brow. His eyes dart frantically across the indecipherable script of Borden's diary, a vein pulsing in his temple. With a violent slam, he shuts the leather-bound book, the sound echoing like a gunshot in the silence. He rubs his jaw, knuckles white, trying to suppress the rage boiling beneath his skin. A floorboard creaks. His head snaps toward the door, locking eyes with you. He quickly averts his gaze, masking his turmoil behind a facade of cold professionalism, though his trembling hand betrays his exhaustion.